by David L. Gray {CRM2}

It should be clearly understood by all Prince Hall Masons that Dr. Albert G. Mackey’s (1807-1881) list of Twenty Five Masonic Landmarks are neither wholly ancient nor universally followed – neither are they cast from antiquity, but rather the sole creation of one man whose opinion of Prince Hall Freemasonry, left much to be desired.

Knowing this, one Prince Hall Mason is left to wonder why the majority of Prince Hall Grand Lodges are one of the few sets of Masonic Grand Lodges in the world that have went so far to adopt Mackey’s imaginary list of Ancient Masonic Landmarks? Let’s Review -

Prior to 1717, and before the first Grand Lodge was established, there was no mention to any such thing called a “Land-Mark”. In England, Lodges were self governing and working under the Gothic Constitutions (often called the York Constitutions among several other names), and some segments of the order also adhered to the principles of Trinitarian Christianity.

Post 1717, and through the 18th Century the word “Land-Mark” could be found loosely used on several occasions and seemingly to denote some sort of unwritten code of government for Lodges and Grand Lodges, that in turn worked in hand with the Ancient Charges set forth in the Gothic Constitutions.

During the 19th Century, both Dr. George Oliver and William Preston made enough vague and ambiguous references to a seemingly set of un-communicable “Land-Marks”. The result of which, would lure American Freemasons into what would turn out to be the unofficially infamous “Search for the Lost Masonic Land-Marks.” They would never find them, but thanks to Albert G. Mackey and notable others – They would find the substitute.

On January 9, 1856, the Grand Lodge of Minnesota, which was only three years old at that time, adopted a new constitution, of which Section 8 contained a list of 26 “Land-Marks”. The name of the author, intent and source are unknown.

“The following are enumerated as among the Ancient Constitutions, having the force of Ancient Landmarks of the Fraternity, having as such been generally Received and acknowledged by Masons.

“1. That belief in the Supreme Being, ‘The Great Architect of the Universe,’ who will punish vice and reward virtue, is an indispensable prerequisite to admission to Masonry.
“2. That the moral law which inculcates charity and probity, industry and sobriety, and obedience to law and civil government, is the rule and guide of every Mason, and to which strict conformity is required.
“3. That obedience to the Masonic law and authority being voluntarily assumed, is of perpetual obligation.
“4. That the rites and ceremonies (which include the unwritten language) of the true system of the Ancient York Rite, and which constitute a part of the body of Masonry, are immutable, and that it is not in the power of any man or body of men to make innovations therein.
“5. The contentions and lawsuits between brethren are contrary to the laws and regulations of Masonry.
“6. That charity is the right of a Mason, his widow and orphans, when poor and destitute, to demand, and the duty of his prosperous brother to bestow.
“7. That Masonic instruction is like charity, a reciprocal right and duty of Masons.
“8. That the right to visit Masonically is an absolute right, and the duty of Masons.
“9. That men made Masons, must be of mature age, free-born, of good report, hale and sound, not deformed or dismembered, and no eunuch.
“10. That the Grand Master may make Masons at sight, and may grant a dispensation to a Lodge for the same purpose, but in all other cases a candidate must be proposed in open Lodge, at a stated meeting, and can only be accepted at the stated meeting following, by the scrutiny of secret ballot, and an unanimous vote, and must pay a fixed price before admission.
“11. It is the duty of every Mason to be a contributing member to some Lodge.
“12. That a Mason who is not a member of any Lodge is still subject to the disciplinary power of Masonry.
“13. That the Master and Wardens of every Warranted Lodge, are of right and inalienable representatives in, and members of, the Grand Lodge.
“14. That no one can be elected Master of a Warranted Lodge (except at its first election), but a Master Mason who shall have served as a Warden.
“15. That every Mason must be tried by his peers, hence the Master cannot be tried by his Lodge.
“16. That no appeal to the Lodge be taken from the decision of the Master, or the Wardens occupying the chair in his absence.
“17. That Masonic intercourse with a clandestine or expelled Mason, is a breach of duty and an offense against Masonic law.
“18. That a restoration to the privileges of Masonry by the Grand Lodge does not restore the membership in the Subordinate Lodge
“19. That a failure to meet by a Lodge for one year, is cause for forfeiture of its Warrant.
“20. That it is the duty as well as the right of every Warranted Lodge to be represented in Grand Lodge at its Communications.
“21. That a Grand Lodge has supreme and exclusive jurisdiction within its territorial limits, over all maters of Ancient Craft Masonry.
“22. That no appeal lies from the decision of the Grand Master in the chair, or his deputy, or Warden, occupying the chair in his absence.
“23. That the office of Grand Master is always elective and should be filled annually by the Grand Lodge.
“24. That a Grand Lodge composed of it Officers and Representatives, must meet at least once in every year, to consult and act concerning the interest of the Fraternity in its jurisdiction.
“25. That all officers of Grand or Subordinate Lodges must be Master Masons.
“26. That no subjects of sectarian or political character can be discussed in a Lodge, and any Mason proposing such a interest, renders himself liable to the disciplinary action of the Lodge.

Then in June of 1856, Rob Morris of Kentucky published his Code of Masonic Law in which he included the following shorter list of the 17 “Land-Marks”.

“1. The Masonic Landmarks are unchangeable and imperative.
“2. Masonry is a system, teaching symbolically: Piety, Morality, Charity and Self-Discipline.
“3. The Law of God is the rule and limit of Masonry.
“4. The Civil Law, so far as it accords with the Divine, is obligatory upon Masons.
“5. The Masonic Lodge and the Masonic Institutions are one and indivisible.
“6. Masonic Qualification regards the Mental Moral and Physical nature of Man.
“7. Personal worth and merit are the basis of official worth and merit.
“8. The official duties of Masonry are esoteric.
“9. The selection of Masonry material and the general labors of the Masonic Craft are exoteric.
“10. The honors of Masonry are the gratitude of the Craft and the approval of God.
“11. Masonic promotion, both private and official, is by grades.
“12. The Grand Master may have a Deputy.
“13. The head of the Lodge is the Master, duly elected by the Craft.
“14. The medium of communication between the head of the body of the Lodge is the Warden, duly elected by the Craft.
“15. Obedience to the Master and Wardens is obligatory upon the members.
“16. Secrecy is an indispensable element of Masonry.
“17. The Grand Lodge is supreme in it’s sphere of jurisdiction and individual Masons, but is always subject to the Ancient Landmarks.

Although these two publications were on the record and know throughout the Masonic community in the United States, Albert G. Mackey would write as late as 1874 in his “Encyclopedia of Freemasonry”, “Until the year 1858, no attempt had been made by any Masonry writer distinctly to enumerate the landmarks of Freemasonry and to give them a comprehensive form ….” This same amazing statement would appear in later revised editions of that same encyclopedia.

Mackey’s list composed of twenty five items and are so listed:

“1. The Modes of Recognition.
“2. The Division of Symbolic Masonry into Three Degrees.
“3. The Legend of the Third Degree.
“4. The Government of the Fraternity by a Grand Master.
“5. The Prerogative of the Grand Master to preside over every Assembly of the Craft.
“6. The Prerogative of the Grand Master to grant Dispensations for Conferring Degrees at Irregular Times.
“7. The Prerogative of the Grand Master to grant Dispensations for Opening and Holding Lodges.
“8. The Prerogative of the Grand Master to Make Masons at Sight.
“9. The necessity for Masons to congregate in Lodges.
“10. The Government of the Graft by a Master and two Wardens.
“11. The necessity for every Lodge to be Tiled.
“12. The right of every Mason to be represented in all General Assemblies of the Craft.
“13. The Right of every Mason to appeal from the decision of his Lodge to the Grand Lodge.
“14. The Right of every Mason to visit and sit in every regular Lodge.
“15. No Visitor may enter the Lodge without passing an Examination.
“16. No Lodge can interfere in the business of another Lodge.
“17. Every Freemason is amenable to the Law of the Jurisdiction where he resides.
“18. The Qualifications of a Candidate for Initiation are that he must be a man, un-mutilated, free born and of mature age.
“19. A Mason must believe in God as the Grand Architect of the Universe.
“20. A Mason must believe in a Resurrection to a Future Life.
“21. The Book of the Law shall constitute an indispensable part of the Furniture of the Lodge.
“22. The Equality of all Masons.
“23. Secrecy.
“24. The Foundation of a Speculative Science upon an Operative Art.
“25. These landmarks are unchangeable, nothing can be subtracted from, and nothing can be added to them.

It would seem that Mackey, if he were really aware of the 1856 “Land-Marks”, established by the Grand Lodge of Minnesota and Rob Morris, that he may have borrowed a bit from them, but there is no definitive proof that he did borrow.

It was well within Albert G. Mackey’s rights, as well as any other person or body of Freemasons to generate a set of “Land-Marks”. The confusion and problem of these “Land-Marks” centers around the word “Ancient” that has been associated with them. How Ancient? The assumption by most is that the word “Ancient” implies something that is as old as time immemorial or at least prior 1717. A more appropriate word instead of “Ancient” would be “Accepted”, because that’s all they are.

We’ve already summarized how prior to the formation of the first Grand Lodge in England that there was no such thing as “Land-Marks”, and these enumerated list were American Masonic innovations. Now, let’s go further and note how the word “Ancient” in regards to Mackey’s “Land-Marks” conflicts with our Fraternity, and we’ll just take a look at a selection of the “Land-Marks” for the sake of space in this publication.

LAND-MARK #1 – Modes of Recognition:
Mackey calls it “the most legitimate and unquestioned”, and “They admit of no variation”, but as we should know, the Modes of Recognition are not the same around the world. Our signs, grips and words are not Universally uniform in Freemasonry, and still by the use of the word “ancient” his position is that these same signs, grips and words were in use prior to 1717, which isn’t true either.

LAND-MARKS #2 & #3 – The Division of Symbolic Masonry into Three Degree & The Legend of the Third Degree:
The word “Ancient” is inappropriately used here also. Masonic Historians mainly agree that the division into the first two degrees was probably made not before 1719 or after 1721, and the first definitive reference to the Master Mason degree did not occur until May 12, 1725.

LAND-MARK #4 through #8 – Covers Prerogatives of the Grand Master (see list above):
These Land-Marks couldn’t be “Ancient” or have existed prior 1717, because there were no Grand Masters prior 1717. Further, a Grand Master could be fully in his power to Make a Mason ON SIGHT with a due number of Brethren assembled and opening of a Lodge, but the Grand Master is only a creature of a Grand Lodge which holds no Lodge Rights, because it in itself is only a creation of the Lodges which chartered it and can be dissolved at any time – So therefore, “Land-Mark” #8 giving the power of a Grand Master to make a Mason upon/at Sight, without due assembly and opening of a Lodge is contra the Ancient Charges.

LAND-MARK #18 Certain Qualification of Candidates for Initiation:
Mackey states that a woman, a cripple, or a slave or one born into slavery is disqualified for initiation into the rite of Masonry. Anciently in the trades of Masonry in the Guilds of England a youth nearer the age of 12 was taken on as an apprentice, and he may have very well been born into slavery or served as a slave prior to his apprenticeship.

LAND-MARK #21 The Book of the Law shall constitute an indispensable part of the Furniture of the Lodge:
This “Land-Mark” doesn’t pass the “Ancient” or prior 1717 standard either.

LAND-MARK #25 These Landmarks Can Never Be Changed:
These are Albert G. Mackey’s “Land-Marks” and can only be changed by him, but these are clearly not the true Ancient “Land-Marks” of the Masonic Fraternity.

Albert G. Mackey did compose a very fine and beautiful list of so-called Masonic “Land-Marks”, and so did several other Grand Lodges and Masonic Writers. The only thing to take away from them is the usage of the word “Ancient”.

The Prince Hall Grand Lodges were very quick to adopt Mackey’s “Land-Marks” and today all Prince Hall Grand Lodges adopt his list, in either full or part. Mackey’s List has also been adopted officially by four other Mainstream/Predominately White U.S.A. Grand Lodges, while the rest have either composed their own, recognizes Mackey’s list, but the majority have not committed themselves in any way to any “Land-Marks” or Charges.

The Prince Hall Grand Lodge’s continued adoption and obedience to these “Land-Marks” seems to work well for them, but it will remain to be this writers opinion that the word “Ancient” in usage with Albert G. Mackey’s contrived list of so-called Masonic “Land-Marks” is not appropriate and only leads to more confusion amongst the craft.

· Mackey, Albert G., “Mackey’s Revised Encyclopedia of Freemasonry vol I & 2 (1946).
· Coil/Roberts, Coil’s Masonic Encyclopedia (revised edition 1995)
· The Constitution-Code and By-Laws of the M.W.P.H.G.L. of Ohio F&AM